Christian NHS worker faces sack over abortion leaflet

A Christian employed by a London mental health trust was today due to appear before a disciplinary panel after giving two colleagues a pro-life leaflet about abortion.

Margaret Forrester said she gave the literature to co-workers to warn about the "physical and psychological damage" of having a termination, claiming the NHS did not offer patients enough information about the risks.

Subsequently, she was suspended from her job as a psychological wellbeing practitioner in Westminster at the Central North West London Mental Health Trust.

Ms Forrester, a 39-year-old Roman Catholic, claimed she was "bullied" by trust bosses because of her beliefs and "treated like a criminal".

In her job as a mental health worker, she saw women who required counselling after choosing abortions. But Ms Forrester, who attends a church in Knightsbridge, said her case related to an informal chat with colleagues about her views and she had not tried to influence any patients.

She said: "I was treated like a criminal. I was bullied to the point of being physically sick. How can this go on in a civilised country? It's crazy."

Her case was due to be heard today by the trust's internal disciplinary committee. Under NHS rules, she is charged with "distributing materials some people may find offensive".

Ms Forrester told the Daily Telegraph she would recommend the booklet to colleagues again, but only if there were no patients present.

Her case was taken up by the Christian Legal Centre, which promised to "stand by" her. The Trust had no comment to make.